Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Contact Details

Email
alana.alexander@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Research Fellow
Department
Department of Anatomy
Iwi affiliations
Te Hikutu: Ngāpuhi, Pākehā
Research summary
Molecular ecology and evolutionary biology

Research

Alana’s research utilises the ‘time-traveling’ ability of population genomics and phylogenomics by combining genomics, advanced computational tools, and behavioural, ecological, and biogeographic data to make inferences about the processes that have impacted populations in the past, and how ongoing threats will impact species into the future.

These inferences range from global spatial and deep temporal scales (e.g. the worldwide impact of climate fluctuations on global sperm whale populations over the last 125,000 years), to regional spatial scales across time scales relevant to local adaptation (e.g. the evolution of MHC immune genes in Hector’s and Māui dolphin populations), to finer spatial and temporal scales (e.g. the movement of a chickadee hybrid zone in Missouri by just a few kilometres over three decades).

Overall, Alana considers herself a molecular ecologist / evolutionary biologist who uses bioinformatic methods to focus on the interplay between pattern and process in genomic data. As a Māori scientist (Ngāpuhi, Te Hikutu) she also maintains a strong interest in ensuring that her research can be used to support kaitiakitanga, mātauranga, and rangatiratanga of resources within the rohe of iwi, hapū and papatipu rūnaka.

Her current projects include:

Publications

Alvarez-Costes, S., Baker, C. S., Constantine, R., Carroll, E. L., Reeves, I. M., Dutoit, L., Ferreira, S., … Gemmell, N. J., Gillum, J., … Rayment, W., … Te Aikā, B., & Alexander, A. (2026, February). From Ice Age to isolation: Historical demography and inbreeding depression in New Zealand's endemic Hector's and Māui dolphins [Invited]. Verbal presentation at the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Falvey, C. H., de Mello, P., Taft, J. M., Vanerelli, A. A., Hime, P. M., Alexander, A. M., … Geneva, A. J. (2026). Chromosomal fusions and evolutionary forces: Exploring the neo-sex chromosome system of Anolis distichus. Journal of Heredity. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/jhered/esaf108 Journal - Research Article

McAllister, T., Walker, L. A., Naepi, S., Pope, R.-N.-A.-R., Reihana, K., Hawkins, P., … Alexander, A., … Rapata, H. (2025). Needed but not alone: A navigation guide for Māori and Pacific postgraduates in STEM. MAI Journal, 14(2), 283-292. doi: 10.20507/MAIJournal.2025.14.2.14 Journal - Research Article

Alexander, A. (2025, September). From ice age to isolation: Historical demography and inbreeding depression in New Zealand's endemic Hector's and Māui dolphins. Verbal presentation at the 35th Queenstown Molecular Biology Meeting (QMB), Christchurch, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Alexander, A. (2025, September). Ruatau: Connecting Māori genomic scientists and communities. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Research Week (QRW) Satellite Meeting of Indigenous Genomics, Christchurch, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Back to top